Hellraid: The Escape
Overview -
Poland based Techland has become more prominat over the last few years, most notably when they released their zombie apocalyptic game, 'Dead Island.' Released in November of 2010, the first person co-op adventure was focused primarily on melee combat and quickly earned a devout cult following – regardless of the many technical issues that plagued the game. Since then they've continued to hone their development skills, while further embracing the all-too-familiar zombie theme, with 'Dead Island: Riptide' and the newly announced 'Dead Island 2.' Adding to their ambitious schedule is the new horror-fantasy IP, 'Hellraid.' Although not scheduled to release until sometime in 2015, they've enlisted their subsidiary developer, Shortbreak Studios, to bridge that gap with the iOS title, 'Hellraid: The Escape.' But will this handheld mobile game be enough to satiate Techland's fan base until 'Hellraid' releases?
Video Review
Although 'Hellraid' makes an attempt at delivering an interesting story, the strong visuals of the game are what really shine from start to finish. The developers at Shortbreak Studios have a strong grasp of what the underworld could look like and present an environment that is both frightening (in a Hammer films sorta way) and immersive: skeletons litter each room, candles and the arcane arts adorn altars, and spiders and rats skitter across the floor.
Unfortunately, the majority of the creatures that inhabit this dungeon fall a bit flat and emote in a rather clunky fashion. But it's easy to look past these fairly minor issues when seeing the more vivid details emerge from the strong use of lighting and shadows.
While there is support for TV display via HDMI and Apple Airplay, playing 'Hellraid: The Escape' with an iPad that utilizes the Retina display is the best way to go. I noticed a diminishment in visual fidelity when playing on the TV, and simply could not imagine playing 'Hellraid' on the iPhone's substantially smaller screen.
Audio Review
Because the story of 'Hellraid: The Escape' relies mostly on journal entries and found pages, there is little to no voice acting involved. As a result, the majority of the game's audio relies on ambient sound and creature effects to help drive the story set in a dungeon's torture chambers.
Overall the sound design is nicely presented. My Sennheiser over-the-ear headphones helped to capture the little nuances the games audio has to offer. In addition to the creepy directional sound effects, the musical score was immediately reminiscent of the work Ennio Morricone did with John Carpenter's 'The Thing'. The haunting melodies and high-pitched string ensemble delivered a more than appropriate mood throughout the game.
Final Thoughts
I proudly count myself among the devout followers of Techland's 'Dead Island' series. I am also more than a little excited about both the 'Dying Light' and 'Hellraid' releases scheduled for 2015. While I'm certain 'Hellraid: The Escape' was meant to introduce the gaming masses to this new world, it ultimately does very little to help ease that waiting period. By no means is it a bad game. In fact, everything about it works rather well. And for $2.99 it's hard to argue the price point, even after realizing how short the game truly is. Playing 'Hellraid: The Escape' was a distraction that was enjoyed just long enough to complete the game. Depending on what the future content has to offer, it might even be worth traveling back to the dungeon for another visit.
